Money: Good or Evil? (The Value of Money – Part VI)

You may have heard, “Money is the root of all evil.” It’s a cliché that is actually a misquotation of a Biblical verse. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (NKJV) It may seem like a subtle difference, but the Scripture speaks specifically to the love of money. The Apostle Paul was addressing how the love of money had caused some of the early Christians to stray from the faith. He was not proclaiming money to be evil.

Money is a tool. It is not inherently good or evil. It can be used for either, depending upon the person who is using it. In some respects it’s like medicine. If used properly, it can be beneficial and keep you healthy, but if used inappropriately, it can kill you.

Money can do a lot of good in this world, and the more money you have, the more good you can do. Governmental agencies and non-profit organizations recognize this fact. It’s why the government levies taxes and non-profits raise funds, for without finances, they cannot help other people.

It takes money to feed the hungry, provide clothing and shelter to the poor, drill a well for clean drinking water, pay for medical care, etc. You may be able to get some of these things donated, but your impact will be severely limited if you don’t have money. Thus, the more money you have, the more food, clothing, shelter, and medicine you can buy.

Some people may say that they don’t want to make or have much money. It may sound pious, but if you really want to help people and make this world a better place it doesn’t make sense. The billions of dollars that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are giving to charity will do far more than tossing $1 into the Salvation Army bucket at Christmas.

The evil aspect of money is what it does to you. Your need or desire to acquire more money can make you greedy, stingy, ruthless and dishonest. You may be tempted to compromise your morals and do whatever it takes to acquire more money and possessions. If you engage in these types of behaviors, understand that the money is not wicked… you are. That may seem harsh and offensive, but money is an object and can’t be good or bad. It’s people who do good or bad things.

Money is not good or evil. It’s simply a tool that can be used to do good or wicked things. I’m not ashamed to admit that I would like to acquire a lot of money. Not so much because of the lifestyle it will bring to me, but because I know that money is necessary to make this world a better place.